


Never Mind the Strangers

by KatiKitten



Series: We Used To Be Friends [4]
Category: Glee
Genre: Alternate Universe, Friendship, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-05-07
Updated: 2012-05-07
Packaged: 2017-11-05 00:10:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,242
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/399748
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KatiKitten/pseuds/KatiKitten
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Somehow, Rachel winds up with six Cheerios and jocks at her house. And it gets stranger from there.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Never Mind the Strangers

After "The Great Glee Exodus of 2011" (that's what you get when you have two Jews in the group, even if the two of them aren't the _best_ Jews around; Rachel and Noah ate bacon a lot, for instance), the six jocks and Cheerios piled into Rachel's X-Terra and Matt's Honda CR-V and came over to Rachel's house to hang out and gossip and watch a movie or something, Rachel wasn't exactly clear on all the details. All she knew was that when she walked out, six other people walked out behind her, and somehow, they wound up at her house, and she should probably feed them all, maybe she'd order a pizza or something? Matt's house was the same size and in the same neighborhood as Rachel's, but he had five siblings, so there was a lot more privacy at Rachel's house.

A _lot_ more privacy, and that was even _without_ going down to the basement. Her dads worked until six most nights, later on the others unless Rachel had a performance, and Rachel usually ordered out for Chinese or Thai or pizza or any number of possibilities before they got home, anyway. So it would just be a little early that night. ...She would have to ask Noah how much pizza to order, from what she'd heard about teenagers and their appetites. She knew Noah's appetite well enough to know she'd need to order twice as much for him as she would for herself, and that was from a year and a half before. She figured his appetite had only gotten bigger since then, especially with him on the football team.

The jocks weren't too bad, really. Mike and Matt were quiet, but not mean. Santana and Brittany were gossipy, but not... Okay, so _Brittany_ wasn't really mean. Woefully naive, thinking the best of people, absolutely. Following Santana's and Quinn's cues, also a definite yes. Actively mean, not so much.

Example? Brittany came down to help Rachel put snacks together, and asked Rachel if her hand transplant had hurt, and the doctors had done a _really_ good job because Brittany couldn't see the scars _at all_ , and was it a car accident or something? Rachel might not be the best at translating Brittany-isms, but even she was able to piece together that Brittany was referring to why she thought Santana and Quinn used to call Rachel "Man Hands".

Brittany also told Rachel while she was down there that Brittany would help Rachel wash the Slushy out of her hair next time the football players or hockey players decided to toss some at her. That side comment meant a lot to Rachel, mostly because it was obvious that Brittany wasn't making a big deal out of it.

All things considered, the afternoon wasn't actually that bad. Rachel managed to not be controlling, and just let everyone do what they wanted. (She didn't even suggest karaoke, though she was sure that everyone would enjoy it.) She started off just doing homework in the kitchen after preparing the snacks, but the football players had other plans. Matt and Mike came down to convince her to go upstairs and join everyone, with Mike doing most of the talking. Rachel tried to explain that she wasn't really friends with anyone there, and they were friends with her new housemate, but Mike and Matt shared a look before picking her up and carrying her up the stairs.

Brittany insisted that Rachel sit in front of her so Brittany could brush her hair. Judging by the look Santana and Quinn shared, that was a pretty common demand from Brittany. Rachel didn't really have a reason to not, so she acquiesced, handing Brittany her brush (and hoping that she didn't wind up with horns or something). Santana and Quinn kept up a steady commentary about the people at school, mostly led by Santana with interjections from Quinn. Noah had his own comments to add in, while Mike and Matt did their usual quiet schtick.

"Gotta say, Berry, I don't think any of us were expecting you to side with Quinnie and Puck today. Not against Frankenteen, especially." Santana's voice sounded... approving? Really?

Rachel's insides fluttered at the approval, and she gave Santana a bright smile. "As the daughter of two gay dads and a member of the Jewish people, I pride myself in looking to the truth of a matter and not joining the oppressive force, especially when the punishment is undeserved and coming from people who are not the wronged party."

Santana scrutinized Rachel, before turning to Quinn. "Chick has potential. We train her up right, and she'd be good. We're keeping her." She turned back to Rachel. "Quinn says that you and she used to take dance at the same place, before she switched over to where we go, that place on Locust. Britt and I just got a new instructor, and we're pretty sure that _we_ know more about dance than she does. The place you go any good?"

Rachel nodded for a moment, before her voice kicked back in. "Dad and Daddy made sure that the academy I go to had the most credentials. Madame Volkova is the best they could find, and I know that they did extensive amounts of research. Madame Volkova is for ballet, of course, though I do also take hip hop, tap, jazz, and lyrical after Glee rehearsals." Rachel's smile faltered, before she pasted it back on, bigger and faker than before. "Well, I suppose I can dance a few extra hours a day now."

Santana gave Rachel another critical look. "Okay. We're going outside. Brit and I are going to start teaching you routines. You can dance, you have lungs, if you can do gymnastics then Coach Sylvester will put you on the squad for sure."

Rachel glared at Santana. "Look. I know you think that you are better than me, but that does not mean that you are smarter than me. If you are going to just be mean, then I am going back downstairs. I do not appreciate being the butt of your jokes. Find another girl to mess with."

Rachel would never be able to fully understand how standing up for herself actually got her in Santana's good graces. All she knew was that after that day, Santana was actually a friend. A frequently bitchy friend, but at least Rachel would never be surprised by any cutting remark that Santana made. Santana wasn't the kind of girl that would be nice to you in private or to your face, and then cut you down in public or behind your back. Santana was a straight up bitch all the time, and no one was spared the lash of her tongue, except Brittany. Everyone did their best to protect Brittany and make sure no one said or did anything hurtful to the cheerful blonde that believed the best in everyone, and none was quite as protective as Santana.

Brittany and Santana grabbed Rachel's arms and propelled her down the stairs, Quinn and the guys following. Rachel knew basic gymnastics, but now the girls were teaching her some of the more complicated things, like layouts. She picked things up fairly quickly, and within a week had a new uniform.

Rachel Berry, a cheerleader? _Really_? No one saw that coming, least of all Rachel. Well, at least she wouldn't have to deal with the daily morning Slushy facials. Hopefully.

**Author's Note:**

> Yeah, this one kinda surprised me, too. But it's apparently what happens in this universe. I have basic things planned out for all three seasons, but _just_ the basics. Wasn't expecting Rachel to be a Cheerio.


End file.
